On the other end, the trapezoidal ‘cans’ out the back look like they mean business. Since the 16-valve DOHC four-cylinder turbocharged 2.0-litre engine produces only 208 horsepower, those ‘cans’ out the back look like they mean small, but respectable, business.

On her 1,000-kilometre return drive to Quebec City, Lisa felt the odd transmission lever in the CLA 250 did not inspire confidence.Garry Sowerby /
Driving

Acceleration is smooth with not too much ‘turbo lag.’ Sport mode is more fun than Eco mode. Working the seven-gear dual clutch transmission manually with the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters enhances the feeling of a nimble ride. The much-debated stiff suspension comes to mind a few times during the thousand-kilometre run on patches of rough pavement.

The design of the CLA 250 has been hotly contested. One autoblog.com reviewer finds the CLA “ … undeniably striking from some angles … yet shockingly weird in others.” I would agree. In general, the swoopy sporty vehicle has sex appeal, especially with the 18” AMG 5-Twin Spoke Wheels on my tester, but some angles simply do not flatter the CLA 250.

After the 1,000-kilometre drive, will I still like turning the key in the ignition? ‘Old School’ but, yes, I will definitely still like this feature.

The über-deep cup holder will be at the top of my like list, even though it owes its existence to one of my initial and visceral dislikes: the gear shift. Heck, it’s not even called a gear shift anymore. It’s a transmission lever located on the right side of the steering column. New School.

Although it doesn’t take up precious cockpit storage space on the centre console between the two front seats (like), it doesn’t give a feeling of confidence when you ‘shift’ from Park to Drive or Reverse or vice-versa (dislike). Push the stalk up for Drive, down for Reverse, push in the button on the end of the stalk to put the vehicle in Park. Did it work? Should I take my foot off the brake now? Obviously, I need to adapt.

I know I’ll still love the race car-like seats once the drive is over. The non-adjustable headrests may not do so well in the I-still-like department, especially with a hair clip holding my hair at the back of my head, but that’s easily fixed. Remove the hair clip.

A thousand kilometres is enough to turn my enthusiasm for the gyrating air vents into full-blown love. Turn right to close, left to open and the ability to aim precisely in any direction, what’s not to love? I have similar warm feelings for the no-nonsense cruise control lever and the super-efficient windshield wipers.

After the 1,000-kilometre drive, will I still dislike the seat controls on the door instead of down on the side of the actual seat? I’m not sure. When the controls are on the side of the seat, my hand leaves the steering wheel but my eyes don’t leave the road. With the controls on the door, not only does my hand leave the steering wheel, but my eyes tend to wander over that way to make sure I’m touching the correct buttons.

In 10 hours, I didn’t quite figure out the COMAND infotainment system. Hey, I was driving and didn’t want to get distracted.

I don’t mind the price tag. Starting at $36,500, the CLA 250 is the lowest priced Mercedes-Benz out there. The 4MATIC version with Sport and Premium packages adds almost $5,000 to the base price.

Thinking of buying a Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 4MATIC? If you’re expecting a Mercedes-Benz, you won’t be too disappointed. Your neighbours may be jealous and your wallet will be happy.